Justice League Test Screening Reaction Similar To Wonder Woman

It sounds as if Justice League is testing with audiences just as well as Wonder Woman did earlier this year. For fans of the DC cinematic universe, critical praise has never been an indicator of quality. After all, each film so far has done extremely well at the box office, proving fans and general moviegoers have largely liked what they’ve seen. Nevertheless, Wonder Woman‘s runaway success with critics and audiences alike certainly came as a welcome surprise.

Given the universal popularity of Wonder Woman and Gal Gadot’s much-praised appearance in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice last year, it was always assumed her solo film would perform well. With a global total of $821 million and a final Rotten Tomatoes score of 92%, it blew away expectations. In fact, it’s the only DCEU film to not land a rotten rating, let alone to be Certified Fresh. All of that positive buzz has not only carried over to this month’s release of Justice League, but also activated a whole new set of moviegoers who likely wouldn’t be attending the film without Princess Diana’s involvement. Now, it looks as if DC’s most popular film to date could have a friendly rival.

The Wall Street Journal has a new report on the production of Justice League, which dives deep into the ups and downs of the film’s road to the screen. It also indicates that test screenings for Justice League have been seeing audience scores similar to what Wonder Woman earned.

WSJ also notes that Justice League is on track for a domestic opening over $100M, which would match what Wonder Woman saw when it debuted. With Batman V Superman almost breaking $900M with a mere 27% on Rotten Tomatoes, Justice League shouldn’t struggle with financial success.

Part of Wonder Woman‘s winning formula was its positive word-of-mouth, which saw it lasting longer in theaters than the average blockbuster. There were also many repeat viewers, and some weekends even saw boosts thanks to increased awareness of the film. It’s possible that Justice League could see a similar trajectory if strong audience reactions help bring skeptical viewers to the theaters over time.

Even without the same legs at the box office, it’s likely the financial success of Batman V Superman and Wonder Woman will be mirrored in Justice League given their similar makeup. With Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Superman all in the film, there’s a lot to entice audiences. The movie should also do especially well overseas, where even critically-panned genre films and blockbusters can top their domestic haul. All told, Justice League could provide DC without another critical and financial success.